LONDON, Jul 13, CMC – Commonwealth Secretary General, Dame Patricia Scotland, is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to follow the directions given by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and decisively conclude the disputed March 2 regional and general elections based on the results of the national recount
In a statement, Scotland said that the “will of the people as expressed” in the elections…must be respected for democracy to prevail in Guyana.
“I urge all political actors and stakeholders in Guyana to accept and respect the results of the national recount and ensure that their words and actions promote an environment of peace, harmony and social cohesion among all Guyanese. “
GECOM is due to meet later on Monday to discuss a report submitted by the Chief Elections Offcer (CEO) Keith Lowebfield that gave the ruling coalition, A partnership for National Unity (APNU) victory in the elections.
Lowenfield who last Saturday, had earlier missed the deadline for submitting the report given to him by GECOM chairman, retired justice Claudette Singh, in his new report, put the valid votes as 475,118, giving the coalition 236, 777 and the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) 229, 330.
As a result, he has assigned coalition, 32 seats in the 65 member Parliament, 31 to the PPP/C and one seat to three of the smaller opposition parties.
One of the three opposition nominated members on the seven-member GECOM, Sase Gunraj, told reporters that the report did not reflect the results of the national recount that ended on June 9 with the PPP/C claiming that it had won the polls by more than 15,000 votes.
In her statement, Scotland said that she had taken note and welcomed the statement from the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr.. Ralph Gonsalves, which called on all stakeholders to respect the ruling of the CCJ, Guyana’s highest court.
“In accordance with the applicable laws and the constitution of Guyana, the CCJ exercised its final appellate jurisdiction, and, on 8 July 2020 handed down a clear and unambiguous ruling. The CCJ stated, “It is for GECOM to ensure that the election results are swiftly declared in accordance with the Laws of Guyana.”
Scotland said that Guyana is a much loved and valued member of the Commonwealth and “on behalf of the entire Commonwealth family, I strongly encourage the Guyana Elections Commission to follow the directions given by the CCJ…
“Guyana’s destiny as a great nation rests on the shoulders of those men and women who are duty bound to make the right decision, respecting the will of the people and the rule of law, and ready to place their country before their personal ambitions. The Commonwealth calls all leaders to be faithful to the common good, so that Guyana’s future may truly be forged today,” Scotland added.
